The unknown in the equation
by Lavi' la Biche
Summary: When you wake up in a place that isn't yours, it seems to be a good reason for getting worried. Or to ask yourself questions. At least that's what Bunsen Honeydew decides to go for when he realizes that their evening at the bar may have lead him and his dear assistant to a really awkward situation. [Bunsen x Beaker / Based on The Muppets' episode "Pig Out"]


**Hello there~**

 **First of all, I'm Lavi' and... My... It's the first time I'm posting in English on this website instead of helping my girlfriend with her OS in English. Well, it's always better to try now than never.**

 **To be honest, I discovered The Muppets Show when I was a child, thanks to the VHS at my grandma's, but since it's not really a popular thing in France (We have some real issues with puppets I guess... That's quite sad.), I just ended up thinking I was one of the last people caring about these characters, and remembering their existence by watching some of the films about them, or playing the only Muppets GBC game I could find.**

 **But then I discovered that the Muppets were back to the screen a few years after becoming a student. And then, I just realized that I wasn't alone, that I wasn't the only one to know that show. And that fuck, the Muppets were definitely still there ! My inner child is really thankful for that by the way.**

 **So I guess it was a matter of time until I tried to write something about some of my favorite characters. And here we are. With some Bunsen and Beaker stuff. Let's be honest, I won't write that much about them, I'm freakin' scared of writing something wrong about them or forgetting a detail about them since I'm not an absolute Muppet expert. But well... After having seen twice or three times the ABC series... Meep. I just had to write something. We need more stuff about them. ;^; And I hope you will like it, even if I think it's cliché as ... Pretty much anything you want. XD**

 **Though I'm a 3rd year english student, some mistakes may have survived my several corrections. If that's the case, sorry. I hope it will still be enjoyable nonetheless. :$**

 **Let's remind that I don't own anything from The Muppets Show, and that it's a MxM OS, taking place during the ABC series' episode "Pig out". You've been warned~**

* * *

 **The Unknown in the Equation**

He couldn't remember what woke him up first. Was it the tweets of some undefined birds outdoors, the vibrations of a mobile phone ringing somewhere in the apartment or the sunbeam on his face, disturbing the darkness within the room through some space of the window left uncovered by the curtains ?  
Whatever. He definitely got awaken by something. Maybe it was an idea coming to his mind, concerning a machine he was working on ? Why not after all. The only thing that finally happened to be sure and verified was that Bunsen shouldn't have drunk that much last night. As soon as he tried to open his eyes - because he did have eyes, even though they were invisible and almost useless without his glasses - a violent headache hit him like anything he could have felt for a long time until now. He was able to handle a few drinks before, when he rarely happened to go out with colleagues from the Muppet show, so how could it be different this time ?  
Maybe he just took that one cocktail that makes you cross the line and sink into drunkenness, that almost innocent glass of Rob Roy or Manhattan he should have left behind. But blaming it on the alcohol wouldn't change a thing, he wanted to have fun with the others and sip some of this magical mixture of scotch whisky, martini and angostura bitters ; and so he did. He had enjoyed every sip of his cocktails, ate their cherries with content and guess what, he even dared to sing a duet with...  
Goodness.  
Bunsen's heart skipped a beat when he thought about the name of his assistant. Alcohol was slowly ending to hold him between its claws and memories were coming back to him, as he may have been drunk but not to the point of forgetting any event. And he wasn't sure it was the moment to recall things. Glasses first, aspirin next !  
He leaned an arm and curiously felt a cold, large and plain surface under his fingers, like a photo frame. But he never had anything looking like a photo frame on his bedside table. Only books, several notebooks and pencils, more or less filled with his little narrow writing, just in case he could have an idea right out of bed and, the most important, his pair of glasses. So what a curious thing to find there. Leaving his thought behind, he found his beloved "eyes" - that was how people were calling his pair of glasses at work, they were aware that Honeydew couldn't see a thing without them and that a "blind" Bunsen in his own laboratory would be a hundred times more dangerous for them, as he already was kind of it with his glasses on ! Putting them on, he recognised immediately the room he was in. And he became as pale as it was possible for his green skin to be.  
He wasn't at home. And he only has been there a couple times but he exactly knew where he was.  
Flowers on the walls. Everywhere he could look ; Like big red stains on the off white wallpaper.  
Trying to think about something else and find some answers to his questions, his gaze wandered in the room, to focus on Beaker's old fashioned alarm-clock. 10 AM.  
Wait... 10 AM ? Did he just oversleep here, in his assistant's bedroom ? It wasn't something that was known to happen with him for sure. And how sweet of Beaker to have let him stay here.  
But Mister Kermit will kill him for sure. He had something against being late at work, even if he was a good frog and leader in general. And if no one could come to work in time today, with the evening they all had in town...

 _First it will be for Miss Piggy. And then..._

He had to get up now. He would have all the time he could need to think about absolutely anything he wants once in his lab coat and arrived in his laboratory. Laboratory where Beaker surely already was at work. He was an early bird so it won't be surprising if he had left with him still asleep in his place. He must had left some instructions for him, like a "there's some coffee in the kitchen and aspirin in the bathroom, please lock the door when you leave, see you at work" post-it on the fridge.  
So it was sure now, he was at Beaker's. And he slept here, in his bed. Maybe he was too drunk and his assistant proposed him to stay overnight.  
Or just maybe...  
No it couldn't be. It was just a weird dream he made because of alcohol. It definitely wasn't his kind to think about such an irrelevant thing as producing oxytocin, dopamine and endorphins, and even less to think about sharing all of this with his assistant and closest friend !  
Things like that only happened in movies. The end. Blame it on the alcohol.

The phone started to ring again and he automatically got up to locate where it may have ended, his head still hurting him so much that he was stumbling a little bit in the bedroom, too focused on finding the phone to answer to take attention on where he picked it up, or to his actual state. He pressed the green phone shaped button while leaning on his elbows on the nearest piece of furniture. He was actually starting to hope that Beaker may be working on a tonic against hangovers to help him and the rest of the crew who must have been in an even more serious state of drunkenness.

\- Doctor Bunsen Honeydew ?  
\- ... Honeydew, what are you doing with Beaker's phone ?

The scientist froze in place and gave a quick look to admit that yes, it wasn't his phone, before hiding his confusion behind his natural and well known phlegm. He tried to ignore the shiver that went down his spinal cord :

\- Just went to my assistant's to check if he's okay. That night out with miss Piggy was quite crazy, you know.  
\- I think so, he heard Kermit heaving a sigh before going on. Well I know for sure that if you don't show up quickly at the office, I fire both of you. We have a meeting in thirty minutes, about what happened last night... Or at least as soon as when everyone's here.  
\- Technically sir, you can't fire Beaker-  
\- BOTH, I said. A scientist like you with a Phd should know what it means, right ?  
\- Sure. We'll be there within a second.  
\- You'd better be.

And so the frog ended the call, leaving the poor Muppet even more puzzled than he was before. Looking at his assistant's phone one more time, he felt his heart squeezing itself in his chest and put the smartphone carefully on the wooden drawer, as if he could break it by acting carelessly.  
This call was worse than anything else. First, Kermit was in a really bad mood apparently and then...

"What are you doing with Beaker's phone ?"

He suddenly gasped as if he was out of oxygen. It was wrong. Something was wrong with all this equation. Why did Beaker leave without his phone ? And where was he if he wasn't at work ?  
Could it be possible that...  
Speak. All he had to do was to speak. Nothing too complicated from a physical point of view. Something he even was gifted with, his ability to speak and always find something to say whatever the context. Or the situation.  
But he found it really hard to do today. Like if only one of his words could be enough to destroy the whole world.

\- ... Beaker ? Are you there ?

Something moved in his back and he swallowed his own saliva, really hard. He could recognise this quiet way of moving around between a billion of others.  
But then he made a turn on himself to face his dearest assistant. And his own little universe made of science and robotics blown up.

\- Beakie dear ! ... Wha- What a nice pair of underwears you have.

Beaker violently blushed, unable to hide his redness under his shirt for once, and at least managed to mumble a little "thank you" before walking towards him, asking him in the same time if he was feeling okay. Bunsen swallowed another time and tried to adjust his tie knot before finally noticing that he was in the same clothing as him.  
It was unreal. He would never have slept like that. He would prefer to sleep with his lab coat on rather than almost or totally naked.

\- My head hurts but it's fine, it inspired me to work on a tonic to annihilate the effects of hangovers. Beakie why... What happened ? Why am I here... Like this ?

Beaker was now by his side and he has been knowing him for so many years now that he was totally able to recognise each of his emotions just by looking at his facial expressions. And when he told him this, the only thing he could see on his assistant's face was embarrassment with something like a little bit of apprehension.  
And he knew. Immediately.  
It wasn't a dream at all. It was anything but a dream.

\- ... Oh goodness. So it was real.

Beaker remained silent but ended up nodding, his cheeks still in a bright red tint. Bunsen closed his eyes for a second at his answer, not sure of what to do with such a unique information.  
It was an awkward moment like he rarely had the "chance" to experience before. What could he say nor do ?  
Well he didn't really had the time to think about it any longer, Beaker softly interrupting his reflexion by asking him who just called. When he heard the name of their boss, the red head Muppet opened his mouth with a kind of funny face before heading quickly to the kitchen to prepare them some coffee. Still in underwear.  
Bunsen was feeling lost. Maybe his assistant was too shy or scared to dare talking about last night ?  
But it definitely was important... Wasn't it ? Or maybe there was nothing to be said at all in such a situation. How could he know, he never thought something like that could actually happen to him, even if it might seem a little bit antisocial or strange by saying it that way. Honeydew was a Muppet dedicated to science, even when he was a child. He was a curious, inventive child, who learned how to read and count months before his school mates. And when in high school, when teens were supposed to start talking about their dates and first sexual encounters, Bunsen did not care at all and was only thinking about his dearest wish, the wish to become a great scientist later and create things to make life easier to go through. He never really cared about people, and it was simple to demonstrate it by counting how many people were considering him as a friend or knew much about him. Less than a hand, maybe.  
Beaker was an exception. After all these years working together and testing things on his assistant, Beaker was still there. And it was both scary and unsettling to realise that he had to face such a situation with his assistant, his closest - and probably only- friend.  
And they weren't that drunk if able to remember everything about last night. Even if Bunsen's head was still hurting him and if Beaker was looking like he needed a day off to recover.  
Beaker's singsong voice lead him to the kitchen, as he heard the tall Muppet talking to himself. Talking about things too fast for Bunsen to understand, as he was aware that he could do it if talking at a regular speed. But as soon as he entered the room Beaker showed him a cup of coffee and some biscuits to eat a little bit, and gave him a smile. A tender, true smile.

\- Oh thanks Beakie, what a sweetheart of you !

One more blush and his assistant sat next to him, drinking his coffee in silence.  
It definitely was the moment to talk. It was now or never.

\- I guess, ahem. I think we have to talk about what happened. Can we ?  
\- Meep mee.  
\- Glad if you're feeling the same. Well. I-I don't even know where to start. How did it happen ?

It took time to get an answer. And Bunsen knew his question was as stupid as trying to put a fork into a functioning microwave. But he needed answers. They both needed it.  
Beaker's voice was like a whisper. He didn't know, of course he didn't, and it surely happened because they were both feeling up to it. They were adults after all, it must have been consent from both of them at some part.  
And they weren't drunk. They drank yes. Maybe a little bit too much, yes. But they totally assumed and agreed for this duet in the pub. And right after this, they went here, to spend time together. Beaker was feeling concerned about his boss' ability to walk back home by himself and so he proposed him to come and chat for a while, until he would feel better.  
But they didn't talk. They... Instead...

\- No Beakie. I don't regret.

He saw his assistant staring at him after his answer, his cheeks dark red and a mysterious smile on his face. Like if he was... Happy, relieved but still a bit worried in the same time ?  
But the biggest part of the problem was yet to be solved. What could it mean ? Would it change something between them ?  
Before he could ask any other questions, Beaker was already cleaning the table, telling him that they had to get ready pretty quick before Kermit would find necessary to call them one more time. Bunsen nodded while finishing his cup and heading to the bedroom, looking for his clothes. He was right. Even if the boss couldn't do anything to them, he was waiting for them. It would be bad to make him angrier than he already was.  
From the corner of his glasses, he saw Beaker putting some clothes on, without noticing that they actually were Bunsen's. The shorter Muppet tried to tell him, only to get cut short by an high pitched sigh.

 _Alright. I guess I have no choice but to do the same. And pray for the others to not notice thanks to the hangover._

But they will. No doubt about that.

\- Sorry Beakie I didn't hear. What did you say ?

His assistant looked at him for a second then shyly repeated. He wanted to know if they could talk about everything later.  
Talking about everything later. Sure it definitely was that one sentence he never thought he could hear being addressed to him. That one sentence announcing a deadly serious discussion about what to do and conclude from what happened.  
But what could they conclude ? It wasn't like if they were in love with each other. They just had sex. And it was nothing more but sex, even if it already was pretty hard to imagine that something like this happened.  
... Wasn't it ?

\- Yes definitely. Later. Don't worry.

But in the first place, could the night they spent together be considered as it ? Having sex, making love, whatever the way you call it ? Other Muppets were talking about that subject from time to time, especially some of them like Rizzo, Animal and the rest of the Electric Mayhem, and he remembered that for some of them, it was a "all or nothing" concerning that part. But were they a good example ? Maybe it was different depending on the person.  
Bunsen thought he was ridiculous to ask himself so much questions, while he was trying to fold the sleeves of Beaker's shirt to make it fits him. It was only concerning both of them, up to that point. And for him, doctor Bunsen Honeydew, it didn't need a PhD to say that yes, at least, they made it. Maybe not like the others do.  
But the kisses they shared were real. The touches they gave to each other also were real, and pretty unforgettable. Everything... It was counting, for them. And he couldn't hold back the blush that darkened his cheeks when he thought that Beaker was not that bad at kissing.

Was Beaker in love with him ? And him ? Was he...  
He never thought about that possibility. But it just came to his mind so naturally this time...

It was the cherry on top of the cake.

Could it be possible that...  
Bunsen's gaze ended on the photo frame on Beaker's bed table. It was them, in their beloved laboratory, but younger than they were by now. He was holding a bunsen burner for the sake of the pun, and Beaker...  
He was smiling. He was still wearing some bandages on his nose, in memory of when it fell off after having eaten Bunsen's edible paperclips, but he definitely was smiling next to him. Like if anything mattered to him except the joy of working as the doctor's assistant.  
Honeydew was unsure about his actual feelings concerning Beaker. As he followed his assistant in the hall to put their shoes on, it was obvious he never took the time to ask himself what Beaker really was to his eyes. Oh, a friend of course ! But... Just a friend ? Or more ?  
Could he be more to him ? More than a mix between his assistant, his better guinea pig and a friend ? It's been so long since they met each other... And it's known that friends for a long time are usually compared as old couples. So were they one of these old couples ?

\- ... Or a new one, waiting for acceptation and officialization ? Can it be that ?  
\- Meep Mee ?  
\- Just thinking out loud. Are you ready to go, Beaker ?

Later. They will talk about it later.  
Beaker answered to his question by a vigorous movement of his head, but didn't open the door, even if he had an hand on the doorknob.

\- Beaker, what's the problem ?

The tall Muppet looked at him, visibly upset about something. But he won't tell, of course. It was in Beaker's nature to never complain.  
Two longs arms suddenly surrounded Bunsen, and his heart skipped a beat, as he never expected that Beaker would actually hug him. And they didn't share that much hugs in the past years, to tell the truth. But it was different. It was a real, warm hug this time.

\- B-Beakie, we're going to be late.  
\- Mee...

Beaker kept hugging him nonetheless. And Bunsen hugged him back, not feeling up to do anything else rather than giving him what he wanted so much. It was special. This hug was somewhat special, despite the fact that he wasn't really at ease with any type of physical contact.  
And when Beaker finally stepped back to open the door, the scientist knew it. Yes they will definitely have a discussion together. Because there was something in Beaker's eyes that wasn't here before this special night out : Something that was looking like hope.

* * *

 **Congratulations, you survived this big cliché~**

 **Even if I'm not entirely satisfied with it, I wanted to post this One Shot. It was symbolic I guess... Nieheh. In the end I'm happy I could do it.**

 **I really enjoyed writing this little text and I really hope you enjoyed reading it. By the way, please, don't hesitate to tell me if you liked it or not and why, or how I can improve my writing skills. It will help me, no doubt about that. :')**

 **I may be writing more stuff in English by the future. Maybe about the same characters, or in another fandom like Villainous, FNAF, Pokemon or even Steven Universe. Who knows~ ;) Until then, I wish you to have a nice day/evening/night !**

 **Lavi'**


End file.
